1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the incorporation of phytosterols into food products. More specifically, the invention provides a phytosterol/salt mixture suitable for topical application to food products as an alternative to the incorporation of phytosterols by means of its combination with frying oil.
2. Description of Related Art
Cholesterol plays a number of important roles in the human body. To carry out its vital functions, it is transported to and from the cells to perform bodily functions by carriers known as lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can build up over time and clog the walls of the arteries to the brain or heart, creating health risks such as strokes, atherosclerosis, or coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack.
Studies have shown that consumption of sufficient amounts of phytosterols into the diet can reduce (total and LDL) cholesterol levels by an amount that may decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke by as much as 15%. Phytosterols are a group of plant-derived chemical compounds with the same basic structure as cholesterol. Chemically, phytosterols are C26-C30steroid alcohols which an aliphatic side chain at the C17 position. The main difference between a cholesterol molecule and a phytosterol molecule is seen in the carbon skeleton of their side chains. Without being bounded by theory, it is believed that because the structure of phytosterol is similar to that of cholesterol, it competes with cholesterol for acceptor sites in the intestine; thus decreasing the amount of cholesterol absorbed in the body. Some also believe that phytosterols may interfere with cholesterol synthesis. Further, phytosterols have been linked with the prevention of inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, the control of blood sugar in diabetics, the reduction of the risk of various types of cancers, and the prevention of inflammation caused by atherosclerosis.
Unlike cholesterol, which can be obtained by processes in the human body, phytosterols can only be obtained through dietary sources. All phytosterols (including phytostanols) are naturally present in small quantities in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils and other plant sources; though phytostanols are less abundant in nature. These small traces are not sufficient to provide the consistent dietary intake sufficient to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. While phytosterols are available in tablet form as a nutritional supplement, it has become increasingly desirable to create food products concentrated with enough phytosterol to help provide consumers with the FDA recommended amount of 800 mg/day on a consistent basis for increased health benefits. In addition, phytosterols may be added into food products without harming the taste or texture.
Both free phytosterols as well as phytosterol esters (also known as sterol esters) have been found to be beneficial in human nutrition, along with the compounds derived from them. Reduction of phytosterols, for example, yields saturated phytosterols, known as phytostanols which also have cholesterol-lowering properties. Due to its structure, it is often difficult to produce edible products containing phytosterols in their free (non-esterified) form. Generally, free phytosterols are more difficult to work with because of their insolubility and crystalline nature. Free phytosterols have poor solubility in fats and oils and are insoluble in water; whereas phytosterols esterified with fatty acids known as phytosterol esters are more fat and oil soluble. Phytosterol esters have more thick and waxy-like properties, melting at a lower temperature than free phytosterols, which melt at a temperature of about 300 ° F. Consequently, interesterification procedures are frequently used to increase the solubility of phytosterols and make them more useful in foods products.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,050, for example, discloses an oil or fat composition in which a phytosterol is dissolved in an oil or fat containing fatty acid esters to create an esterified compound. U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,206 to Raisio Benecol Ltd. describes a stanol-based ester added to margarine spreads by dissolving them in cooking oil Benecol® margarine spreads were first introduced into the food market in 1999, followed by Benecol® Smart Chews (caramels), which are also stanol-based. Plant sterols have also been interesterified with fatty acid esters to produce the margarine under the trade name Take Control®, marketed by Unilever. Unilever also produces Flora pro-activ® brand spreads, milk, yogurts and dressings, which are based on plant sterols. These products employ esterified phytosterol in part because free phytosterols are more difficult to work with and tend to settle out of liquid product while the phytosterol esters are soluble in oil-based liquids and therefore stay in solution.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,144,595 and 6,638,547, as well as U.S. Pat. App. No. 2005/0042355 by Perlmann et al. (to Brandeis) disclose a method of adding phytosterols to an oil or fat-based composition, wherein the sterols are heated and cooled so that they recrystallized in a form compatible with fried foods. See also Hayes et al., Nonesterified Phytosterols Dissolved and Rectystallized in Oil Reduce Plasma Cholesterol in Gerbils and Humans, J. Nutr. 134:1395-1399 (2004). U.S. Pat. App. No. 2007/0071863 to Corazona Foods, Inc. adds oats to tortilla chips fried in phytosterol-containing oils to increase phytosterol levels and reduce cholesterol levels.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0064078 by Nasser et al. discloses a method for incorporating phytosterols by adding a phytosterol to at least one flavoring. The method for fried products also incorporates phytosterol into the batter before a frying step. When incorporated into baked goods, the method calls for baking the mixture into the good, rather than a topical application similar to seasonings or salt. Further, the application expressly excludes seasonings such as salts and salt replacements.
Consequently, there is a need for more variety of the methods that introduce phytosterols into food products other than their incorporation into the oils in which foods are fried. There is also a need to create more foods containing phytosterols such that consumers have a more diverse array of products to choose from when attempting to meet the required daily consumption proven to provide positive health effects. Further, there is a need for more cost-effective methods of producing phytosterol-fortified food products. In addition, there is a need for a method which makes free phytosterols easier to handle in terms of food applications. Finally, there is a need for a method that provides for a phytosterol mixture useful in the food industry; and in particular for use with salted snack foods: